stuffed acorn squash
Happy fall!
In honor of the crisper weather, football (hello, NFL network!), and open windows at our house, I've made my first fall-inspired dish of the season: acorn squash stuffed with wild rice, manchego cheese, and zesty cured Spanish chorizo. The autumn colors are beautiful and the flavors are rich and savory. If you're a vegetarian, you could substitute chopped nuts and dried cranberries for the chorizo. My family also makes a tasty, sweeter stuffed squash with applesauce, walnuts, and raisins, too. But first, a word about chorizo.
I love chorizo of all types. And I want to love acorn squash. So I brought them together to see if one could improve upon the other. It worked! I often cook with Mexican chorizo, which is a spicy fresh sausage that must be cooked and crumbled before it is served. By contrast, Spanish chorizo is cured and loaded with spices like paprika, which gives it a deep red color. You might find it on a cheese and charcuterie plate once in a while-- since it's cured, it can be eaten without cooking, and has a darker color and harder texture than the crumbly stuff. You can find Spanish chorizo in most supermarkets in the deli or fancy cheese department.
The concept of this dish is so simple that the variations seem endless. Try the vegetarian idea above (nuts and cranberries) with feta instead of manchego, or do a version with cooked and crumbled Mexican chorizo and cheddar. In our neck of the woods, the football is on, the blankets are out, and we're enjoying a super-savory stuffed squash or two. The recipe follows.
Stuffed Acorn Squash
Adapted from Real Simple
2 acorn squash, halved and seeded
1/2c cooked wild rice
3oz cured Spanish chorizo, diced (available in the deli or fancy cheese department)
1c grated manchego cheese
olive oil
salt and pepper
Place the squash halves cut side down in a large baking dish. Add 1/4" water, cover with a tight-fitting lid or foil. Bake at 450 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until the squash is fork tender.
Meanwhile, mix together cooled rice, chopped chorizo, and grated cheese in a medium size bowl.
Turn squash halves cut side up in the baking dish. Sprinkle the cut sides of the squash with salt and pepper. Spoon filling into the cavity of each. Drizzle with olive oil. (You can refrigerate at this point until you're ready.)
Bake the filled squash uncovered at 450 degrees for 10 minutes to heat through and melt the cheese. (Add about 5 more minutes if you had refrigerated before baking.)
To serve, slice the squash halves down the middle to make 8 wedges.
In honor of the crisper weather, football (hello, NFL network!), and open windows at our house, I've made my first fall-inspired dish of the season: acorn squash stuffed with wild rice, manchego cheese, and zesty cured Spanish chorizo. The autumn colors are beautiful and the flavors are rich and savory. If you're a vegetarian, you could substitute chopped nuts and dried cranberries for the chorizo. My family also makes a tasty, sweeter stuffed squash with applesauce, walnuts, and raisins, too. But first, a word about chorizo.
I love chorizo of all types. And I want to love acorn squash. So I brought them together to see if one could improve upon the other. It worked! I often cook with Mexican chorizo, which is a spicy fresh sausage that must be cooked and crumbled before it is served. By contrast, Spanish chorizo is cured and loaded with spices like paprika, which gives it a deep red color. You might find it on a cheese and charcuterie plate once in a while-- since it's cured, it can be eaten without cooking, and has a darker color and harder texture than the crumbly stuff. You can find Spanish chorizo in most supermarkets in the deli or fancy cheese department.
Stuffed Acorn Squash
Adapted from Real Simple
2 acorn squash, halved and seeded
1/2c cooked wild rice
3oz cured Spanish chorizo, diced (available in the deli or fancy cheese department)
1c grated manchego cheese
olive oil
salt and pepper
Place the squash halves cut side down in a large baking dish. Add 1/4" water, cover with a tight-fitting lid or foil. Bake at 450 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until the squash is fork tender.
Meanwhile, mix together cooled rice, chopped chorizo, and grated cheese in a medium size bowl.
Turn squash halves cut side up in the baking dish. Sprinkle the cut sides of the squash with salt and pepper. Spoon filling into the cavity of each. Drizzle with olive oil. (You can refrigerate at this point until you're ready.)
Bake the filled squash uncovered at 450 degrees for 10 minutes to heat through and melt the cheese. (Add about 5 more minutes if you had refrigerated before baking.)
To serve, slice the squash halves down the middle to make 8 wedges.